On growth of the defense in the second half against
Northeastern State:

“Sure, we got in some short field situations and put the
defense to the test and their backs were to the wall a couple times
where they made critical fourth down stops, turnovers. I thought it
was very good they came together and they settled in there after
halftime and I think it kind of hit them to just relax and play
football.”

On how difficult it is for opposing team to prepare for
triple-option offense Southern runs:

“Well it makes people play assignment football and if you
are not sound in what you are doing it can definitely expose you. I
have been on the other end of that style of offense and I have been
exposed before and that is what triggered me to want to run that
style of offense and that is the part I like most about it. It is a
team-oriented offense and a ball control offense. We had 50 plus
plays on defense rather than the first week where we were on the
field for 84 plays on defense so that is a big difference for our
defense so you can shorten the game and get in the fourth quarter
and have a chance to win it and at this time where we are at as a
program and our depth as a team it is beneficial to do.”

On what made the difference last year to get the win at
Lincoln:

“I think special teams. We were kind of going back and
forth and I think some key special teams’ plays kind of
opened it up for field positions. They are definitely a different
style of team now and they look like they are a much better coached
team. Coach Jones is doing an outstanding job. They had a shot at
beating Lindenwood and then beating a Division I team that has got
to be one of the biggest wins in school history so they are going
to come in here riding high and rightfully so. They are much
improved team and you can see they are starting to buy into what
Coach Jones is selling and you have to commend him for doing a good
job.”

On Lincoln’s running back Morris
Henderson:

“He is a tough, physical guy and they do a lot with him.
But like you said it is every week with every team in the MIAA, you
are going to have to bring it every week from the top to the bottom
of the league. They have quality players at quarterback, receiver
and running back with nice size up front offensively. Defensively,
they have some transfers that are playing some good football for
them and a big physical defensive end and a good linebacker in the
middle so we are going to have our hands full.”

On if scoring 52 points one week and 17 points the next
week gives him confidence that they can win any style of
game:

“Like I told them in our team meeting on Sunday, there are
going to be some game where the offense is up and the defense is
down and vice versa, but we have to learn to play in concert and we
need to get both sides of the ball playing well and special teams
must improve as well. I think what it did was gave our kids some
confidence that they can play pretty good football on defense.
Again it is a process and we just need to settle in and relax and
play football.”

On what Lincoln has done to make things
easier:

“I think they have simplified things for what they feel is
best for their kids. They have a good quarterback, wide receivers,
so they are spreading out the offense and make you defend the
formation and they are going to run the offense based off how you
defend the formation and they will hurry up and get to the line of
scrimmage and try to get as many plays off as they can. It is going
to be a difficult offense to defend so you better have your things
together when you start substuting people because they are going to
roll out many different formations.”

On if he has paid any attention to Southern receiving
eight votes in the AFCA Coaches poll:

“No, not one bit. After we finishing game 11, ask me that
again and we will re-visit it.

Junior defensive back Gaige Washington

On what adjustments the defense made to slow down NSU in
the second half:

“Coach Acke gave us a nice little talk and calmed us down
and everybody on defense just put our heads together and we just
made a commitment to each other that we were going to play for each
other and play hard and stop their offense.”

On how much improvement he feels the defense has made
since the start of fall camp:

“I feel like we are bonding as a group and learning
everyday about everybody’s personality and everybody is
buying up and everybody is working hard and doing whatever it takes
to win.”

What attracted him here to Southern coming from Hinds
Community College in Mississippi:

“Coach Daye was one of the best coaches I talked to during
my recruitment and he really made me feel like I was at home. He
actually feels like a father away from home. He will get on you,
but at the same time he is teaching life lessons and I feel real
comfortable here.”

On the defense taking advantage of the offense going on
long drives:

“It is great, we are able to rest, get our game plan
together, talk about what is going on in their offense and what we
need to do to stop it and great to watch the offense go out there
and do their thing and putting up those points and
yards.”

On what he sees in on film of Lincoln:

“From what I see on film, they have a great offense, they
have a great running back, receiver core, a lot of athletes, they
are all disciplined and they play hard every snap and that is
something we are really going to have to focus
on.”

Sophomore running back Michael Nelson

On changing positions to running back this spring after
playing defense in the spring:

“Oh I am really comfortable. I am here to play football
and either side of the ball is football and I am excited to be at
running back. It feels comfortable and real natural and I have kind
of picked up the last couple of weeks a lot better than I did the
entire spring at safety actually. “

On how playing receiver helps with running back as
well:

“All through high school I played both sides of the ball.
I came here as a corner/ safety and ended up going to receiver my
first year and then went back to safety in the spring and now I am
a running back so I am kind of comfortable with almost
anything.”

On finding a home at running back:

“Yeah I think I feel like I have found a home, somewhere I
fit in and where I will end up doing the best.”

What did Northeastern State do in the second half to
slow the offense down:

“They came out with a little different defense than we
were expecting and played us well, but we also didn’t play to
the best of our ability. We were not executing like we should of,
like we can and we just got to come out and execute better
basically.

On what they need to do to improve for
Lincoln:

“To be able to come out and look just like we did in the
first half against Northeastern State and actually play the entire
game and our big thing is to play the fourth quarter and we did not
come out and play the entire second half that last game so we just
want to come out and play the entire game like we did the first
half.”

Does the fact Lincoln beat a Division I school in
Grambling State peak your interest and make you prepare a little
bit more for them?

“No, they are just another team that we are playing and
they are a better team than they were last year, but we are going
to prepare for them just like they beat any team in the nation and
it does not matter who they beat, it is just next
week.”